This invention relates to a two-tier side loading refuse vehicle of the type wherein a refuse receptacle is raised between the cab of the vehicle and the vehicle body for dumping of its contents into an upper compartment.
The mechanical loading of refuse vehicles provides the important advantage of decreasing manpower used for loading the refuse into such vehicles. Front loading refuse vehicles are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,796 by Quinto De Filippi. This patent relates to a front loading refuse vehicle in which carriage means adapted to run on guide rails between a forward position to a rearward position supports lifting arms which are adapted to engage and lift a receptacle positioned in front of the vehicle. The use of lifting arms requires the operator of the refuse vehicle to be relatively precise during the receptacle engagement process. Also, the receptacle must be placed in a convenient location for access by the refuse vehicle. This limits the ability of such a refuse vehicle to adapt to all of the different types of housing plans in today's society. Given the bulk inherent in a refuse vehicle, any additional mobility restriction is inconvenient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,796 also discloses the use of piston-cylinder assemblies for operating hoist arms and a separate piston-cylinder assembly to open a trap door located on the top surface of the vehicle body through which the receptacle is dumped.
Recently there has been a desire to preserve the environment through recycling. Refuse vehicles which enable recyclable material to be collected in one portion of a refuse vehicle while conventional rubbish is collected in another portion of the vehicle are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,658 by Lutz and U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,567 by Lombardo show various versions of vehicles having separate refuse compartments.
Compressing material in refuse vehicles through the use of hydraulic cylinders is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,956 by Gaskin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,366 by De Filippi show compacting waste material through the use of hydraulic cylinders. However, in accordance with these patents, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,796 previously discussed, compacting is an individual process apart from the loading and dumping process. The present invention enables the steps of roof opening, loading, dumping and compacting of recyclable material in a separate compartment to be achieved through the actuation of a single control switch.